The invention set forth in this specification pertains to a new and improved toy race type game employing magnetic coupling in such a manner as to move one or more bodies serving as game elements across the upper surface of a support.
It is well known to construct toy race type games so as to utilize a movable actuator to move one or more magnets beneath the surface of a support and to magnetically couple such magnets with one or more bodies serving as game elements located on the surface of the support. Toys of this general type are commonly constructed so that such bodies appear as simulated vehicles, motorcycles and the like. Within toys of this type it is conventional to utilize an electric motor to turn an actuator consisting of a disk or rotor or an actuator consisting of an arm-type structure serving to support the magnets used.
Although toys constructed as indicated are considered to be effectively desirable for play purposes it has been recognized that such toys tend to have a limitation which effects their play value. This limitation relates to the fact that in such toys the bodies referred to in the preceding are normally moved around essentially a uniform path. This is disadvantageous because children frequently become somewhat bored with seeing bodies as noted move only in one repetitive manner.
The recognition of this is believed to have led to a variety of other known structures in which the magnets located under a support are carried by secondary rotors and/or arms serving as rotors mounted so as to rotate about a vertical axis parallel to the axis of a disk, rotor or arm-type actuator as referred to in the preceding discussion. Although such structures are utilitarian they are not considered to possess as great a play value as is frequently desired because of their uniformity of the action achieved with them.